Kano Country/Non-Canon
| log = One week | type = | affiliation = World Government (Loosely) K-13 (Through the prince and princess) }} The Kano Country (狩野国, Kanō-kuni), also called the "Thousand-Year Kingdom" (千年王国, Sen'nen'ōkoku), is one of the largest and oldest known countries in the world, known for having many millennia's worth of tradition, military might, and other traits that helped shaped the modern world. Through a series of devastating coups, exiling, and assassinations by various factions, the Xiaotian Clan are the continent's current rulers — with its current Jade Emperor, Delun Xiaotian, temporarily cutting off the empire from the rest of the world through his isolation policy to deal with the internal strife. History Like all countries, Kano started out as small and primitive — despite having large landmass and an abundance of greenery; life was peaceful and the Kano natives lived in-tune with their natural surroundings. For hundreds of years, Kano was in a state of tranquility and it's said that because of such harmonization — its people were able to live long healthy lives. However... this changed sometime later when the other nations sent explorers to Kano after hearing of its vast landmass and untapped resources that could be used to better their countries; the explorers came in en masse, causing much (unintentional) destruction in their wake despite their objective. This didn't sit well with the Kano natives, seeing that their livelihood was in jeopardy, and the relationship between the two groups grew progressively worse when some of the explorers tried to drive the natives off their land. Over the next few years, the situation was tense and fragile between the two groups — which, during that time, the two observed each other intently. The Kano natives got a good feel of what the explorers were capable of, thus tried to form a temporary truce; this was for two reasons: continued observation of the explorers — taking in everything that they can learn from them and integrate it into their society to better improve themselves, and to fortify their combat capabilities to a point where they're able to fend them off should they break the treaty for any reason. The passing years were spent turning a once-tribal group of villagers into a unified, fortified nation that's nearly on-par with the explorers. From there, one of the bloodiest conflicts in Kano's history erupted: "100-Battle Conquest"; it's unknown what triggered the conflict, but it had to do with the treaty being broken in some way — instigated by a third-party. As the name would imply, the conflict lasted for one-hundred battles — most of which were long; in the end, the Kano natives reigned supreme because they were familiar with the land and had studied the natives during the brief peace, using the gathered information to build themselves up as much as possible. In the face of defeat, most of the explorers had retreated, but those that remained decided to bend to the natives' whims and go under their rule; a second treaty was proposed, one that neither side could refuse. This was due to the casualties that both sides had suffered: equipment and settlements destroyed, the land ravaged by chaos — losing its once-lustrous beauty, and many people — civilians and soldiers alike, were lost in the conflict. It would take many years to rebuild and claim a fraction of what was lost; through an official ceremony, the treaty was signed and the two sides joined as one. Over the next few centuries, Kano continually grew with each side aiding the other in every way possible, slowly forming what's now known as the Kano Empire. During Kano's state of industrialization, the empire was recognized internationally for its innovations in Martial Arts — to a point where it's hailed as a haven for Martial Artists, having many schools with each having a different style of fighting, Medicine — having plants that had unique effects on the body not yet recorded by other nations, Food — inventing noodles that would be a staple in the culinary world, and Exploration — properly recording and observing the position of the stars, which would act as a natural compass. They were quickly recognized by the World Government, eventually becoming one of the many kingdoms under them. Despite all the recognition, Kano had to enter a period of isolation due to an arising danger within its borders: the genesis of multiple philosophical factions. While Kano had many things going for them, one thing that always led to the empire to teeter into a state of disarray was leadership roles and how the continent should be ruled. This was brought forth by the exchange of teachings between the natives and the explorers — the latter always citing how their respective kingdoms functioned and what would benefit best for the growing empire. Much to the citizen's displeasure, the warring factions wrought havoc on the continent for the next few centuries, resulting in the death of many people and the destruction of various settlements and landscapes; this was soon followed by a period of reconstruction, which the same cycle continued to repeat itself. Other countries, even the World Government itself tried to intervene, but couldn't do so for two reasons: they needed to respect Kano's isolation policy, lest it led to an all-out war, and this was an issue that Kano was adamant about solving itself in order to further prove itself. It's recorded that over 50 factions ruled the Kano Empire, 49 of which were eventually dethroned, demolished, or in certain cases exiled, each ideology shaped the way Kano is governed, creating a variety of strengths and weaknesses. The current one, the Xiaotian Family, is noted to be the most powerful and the wisest to-date, recognized as the empire's standing Imperial Family. The clan patriarch enacted a "second" isolation policy in order to deal with the other factions once and for all in order to help restore peace and prosperity to the ancient kingdom. Overview Traditions & Religious Beliefs Cultural Infrastructure & Advances Martial Arts & Haki Military Strength As Kano is an ancient empire, it's an understatement that its military strength is unlike that of any other country; the source of such strength is based in wisdom and experience, unlike others, that's based on overwhelming power. Like the Samurai of the Wano Country, the Marines don't mess with Kano's soldiers because of how well-versed the empire is in combat — remaining on cordial terms at all times. The combination of their high-level martial arts skills, ample Devil Fruit Powers at their disposal, incredible use of Haki, a multitude of war tactics and strategies, and technological advances that have heavily integrated into some of their military factions, makes Kano virtually unopposed despite internal conflicts lasting generations. There are eight military divisions, each focusing on certain aspects of Kano's societal structure. Báihè Deyǔmáo The Báihè Deyǔmáo (白鶴的羽毛, Pinyin for "White Crane Feather") is Kano's air fleet, developed over the last 500 years and said to be the first of its kind; while the ships are rather simplistic, they're rather effective and often used for aerial assaults and air-based combat. Its current leader is _. Shēnhǎi Wángguó The Shēnhǎi Wángguó (深海王國, Pinyin for "Deep Sea Kingdom") is Kano's naval fleet, said to be the oldest of the military factions because of the nation's reliance on the sea for survival. Originally starting out as small groups of fishermen, they evolved into a highly-advanced, well-seasoned naval force that goes nearly unmatched amongst the other countries. Its current leader is _. Yùqì Jūntuán The Yùqì Jūntuán (玉器軍團, Pinyin for "Jade Legion") is Kano's ground forces, said to be made up of a million men, the highest recording number of soldiers of any nation's army; they're considered to be the most skilled of the military factions, as they've existed since Kano's warring with invaders during its founding. Often using the terrain to their advantage and drilled with all of Kano's military strategies and tactics, they've remained unopposed for quite some time. Its current leader is _. Wò Hǔ The Wò Hǔ (臥虎, Pinyin for "Crouching Tiger") is Kano's backup army, made up of volunteer soldiers, mercenaries, and outside forces forcefully integrated through various means. In the event that Kano's main forces are overrun, they step in and continue the fight. Like the soldiers in the main army, those enlisted go through harsh training to prepare for future combat situations. According to the emperor, they're the most well-rounded of the factions, being skilled in various military areas — but specialize in guerilla combat and surprise attacks. Its current leader is _. Hàoqí Dexuézhě The Hàoqí Dexuézhě (好奇的學者, Pinyin for "Inquisitive Scholar") is Kano's intelligence division, gathering information to further integrate into their various military strategies. Composed of both well-seasoned spies and scientists, the division focuses on espionage, diplomacy, interrogation, and assassinations. Unlike the other factions, this was recently created in the last twenty years due to the need of keeping tabs on the rest of the world while remaining isolated and neutral. Like the naval fleet, the technology used by this division is highly advanced. Its current leader is _. Juéduì Shùnxù The Juéduì Shùnxù (絕對順序, Pinyin for "Absolute Order") is Kano's police force, in charge of keeping the peace in Kano at all times; through the emperor's blessing, the tactics used by this force are rather strict — making it impossible for citizens to oppose them. Regardless, they're not corrupt as their powers kept in check by the emperor's representatives and those in the intelligence division and noted to maintain a very positive relationship with the empire's citizens. The emperor notes that many citizens would join this faction because of "certain benefits" it grants them; not surprisingly, this division works with the reserves during wartime to ensure the safety of its citizens while driving off invaders. Its current leader is _. Huáng Tiānlóng The Huáng Tiānlóng (黃天龍, Pinyin for "Yellow Heaven Dragon") is the most powerful of the eight divisions because of their duty of protecting the emperor, the Imperial Family, and the capital of Shangdu. Unlike the other divisions, which are spread out throughout the continent, this division is heavily focused in Shangdu — leaving it whenever the emperor or his family go out for business. According to Kaisei, members of Huáng Tiānlóng are personally handpicked and trained by the emperor, thus each member is considerably powerful; however, they're small in number, having less than or equal to one hundred members. Its current leader is _. Kāimíng Dehéshàng The Kāimíng Dehéshàng (開明的和尚, Pinyin for "Enlightened Monk") is Kano's cultural division that upholds the empire's values and traditions over the last few millennia; according to the emperor, they're in charge of special events and celebrations while focusing on bringing the citizens together. In addition, they're in charge of religious practices, philosophy, and educational measures in the empire, making sure that everyone has a right to participate in the three so long it doesn't disrupt Kano's now-delicate infrastructure. Many scholarly institutions and places of worship are linked with, funded by, and answer to this division. Its current leader is _. Eight Immortals , they have the vast amount of potential to nearly reach that precipice.| Meilin's summary of the Eight Immortals.}} The Bāxiān (八仙, Pinyin for "Eight Immortals") is the final and strongest military force in the empire, considered to be Kano's last resort before the Jade Emperor's intervention. Made up of eight powerful individuals who lead the other eight military forces, their strength is rumored to be unrivaled by all but a select few in the Imperial Family. They were personally selected and harshly trained by the emperor himself, thus serve as one of the two embodiments of his authority. Though it's unknown how exactly powerful each one is, however, collectively, they're all known to be stronger than a Pirate captain and incredibly wise and skilled individuals — having the potential to combat any threat made against them or their homeland. Kaisei notes that each generation of the Bāxiān changes with the removal of a Royal Family, and the current generation is noted to be the strongest in Kano's history. Unlike the other military factions, there's no official leader, and typically, all answer to the emperor; they're the second-most-influential force throughout the continent, and known to be fiercely loyal to their ruler, the family, their country, and even themselves. Geography Provinces Notable Landmarks Territories The Yellow City Shangdu (上都, Pinyin for "Upper Capital"), also known as the Yellow City (黄市, Kishi) — the color associated with most of Kano's rulers and royal families, is the capital of the empire where a large portion of the population resides. It's existed since the nation's founding, growing with the progression of time. It's noted to be one of the largest cities in the world. It's counterpart is Zhōngdū (中都, Pinyin for "Middle Capital"), Kano's largest providence. Imperial Family It's common knowledge that there were many royal families that ruled over Kano, each one representing a certain ideology on how the nation should be ruled. Through the progression of the country's history, over 40 royal families were exiled or assassinated by other factions — destroying and rebuilding Kano each time. Currently, the Xiaotian Clan serve as the nation's rulers and noted to be the most powerful and numerous thus far, not counting its faction members, having over one hundred family members — splitting into the main and branch families respectively. Their ideology is "In order to understand the world, one must understand themselves". Though it may seem passive to many citizens, such an ideology helped slowly rebuild the country while connecting its citizens to their roots — something lost due to the constant in-fighting. Due to this fact, the Xiaotian Clan are often called the "Sage Clan of Heavenly Jade" (天津翠玉の哲人族, Amatsu Suigyoku no Tetsujinzoku). Politics and Diplomacy Rogue Factions, Sects, and Alliances Trivia *Like most places in the One Piece universe, the Kano Country is based on a real-life location, which in this case, is obviously . :*To this extent, most images and terminology in this article will be derived from various manhua (usually based in Chinese environments) and manga that portray China in some fashion. References Category:Countries Category:Under Construction Category:Canon Countries Category:Locations Category:New World Locations Category:Kingdoms